Death of motorcyclist accidental, inquest finds

The death of a 21-year-old who came off his motorcycle into the path of an oncoming car was an accident, an inquest has found.

Nesta Haselden died in the collision near Queen Elizabeth II High School on the A1 Douglas to Peel Road at about 16:15 BST on 7 August.

CCTV footage from shortly before the collision had shown Mr Haselden riding his Yamaha motorbike with one hand on the handlebars.

Coroner Rebecca Cubbon found that he had "lost control" of his machine but it was not known why.

Douglas Courthouse heard that Mr Haselden was riding behind a Hyundai Kona in the direction of St John's, with a Nissan Micra travelling in the opposite direction towards Peel.

In police interview, the driver of the Nisan said the 21-year-old had appeared "wobbly" as if he was "not in control" before falling onto the opposite side of the carriageway.

A passenger in the Hyundai noted hearing a loud bang and saw Mr Haselden on the road, with his AirPods and phone nearby illuminated with a music app displayed.

Mr Haselden died of multiple injuries caused by the collision, the inquest heard.

There were no defects on the bike and the visibility and road conditions were described as "perfect" by one witness.

The court heard although the tyres on the bike were old, they had not contributed to the crash.

Mr Haselden, who was a private banker and youth worker, had been working from home that day, and was making his way to a football match, the inquest heard.

In a statement, his mother Leesandra Caine said he was a "sensible rider" and he had been riding a motorbike for a year and using the Yamaha since May.

Originally from Burnley, the Peel resident "had the ability to make friends of all ages", she added.

In October police confirmed there would be no charges in relation to the crash.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Ms Cubbon said there was "little" that the Nissan driver could do to avoid the collision.

She could "not be satisfied" Mr Haselden had been using his phone at the time of the crash, she added.

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